The Bond of Unity & the Day of His Vengeance
Sept. 2009
Priscilla Van Sutphin
Jesus said in John 17:
John 17:5 NKJV And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 17:22-23 NKJV And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Ps 133 NKJV Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing — Life forevermore.
Eph 4:1-6 NKJV I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Eph 4:11-16 NKJV And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Eph 3:17-20 AMP May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, 18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 19 [That you may really come] to know [ practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! 20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]--
Unity comes by HIS power, NOT by our own power! Praise the LORD !
1 Cor 1:28-31 NKJV and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption — 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
1 Cor 10:31 NKJV Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
God makes it clear we are to do it for HIS glory and now our own.
James 4:1-11 AMP
1 WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? 2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. [1 John 3:15.]
3 [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures. 4 You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.
5 Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love? [Jer 3:14; Hos 2:19 ff.]
6 But He gives us more and more grace ( power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it). [Prov 3:34.]
7 So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].
9 [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. 10 Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant]. 11 [My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it].
Yet we must DISCERN / Judge between what is righteous and what is not, but not with an air of superiority, as if it couldn’t happen to us. Apart from His grace, we can do NOTHING.
1 John 3:20-24 AMP
20 Whenever our hearts in [tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. [For we are in God's hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything [nothing is hidden from Him]. 21 And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God,
22 And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him. 23 And this is His order (His command, His injunction): that we should believe in (put our faith and trust in and adhere to and rely on) the name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another, just as He has commanded us.
24 All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.
2 Tim 3:1-9 The Message
3 Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. 2 As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, 3 dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, 4 treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic [hateful] to God. 5 They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people.
6 These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself "truth." 7 They get exploited every time and never really learn. 8 These men are like those old Egyptian frauds Jannes and Jambres, who challenged Moses. They were rejects from the faith, twisted in their thinking, defying truth itself. 9 But nothing will come of these latest impostors. Everyone will see through them, just as people saw through that Egyptian hoax.
How did Moses deal with such men ? Tonight I watched a movie about Moses and I saw again how strong we have to be in this hour, to realize we are seated in heavenly places. WE MUST CLING TO FAITH, to HE WHO IS LOVE, FAITH, HOPE, JOY, everything we need to get through this time.
Jesus said, when I return will I find FAITH on earth ? He knew the kind of world we would be living in at His return. And HE is calling us to HOLINESS that we may rule and reign on this earth with HIM, and to bring down the works of the antichrists in the earth.
It is not possible to have unity with people who degrade you and reject you. God has to move upon hearts with the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT to bring humility, and compassion before there can be TRUE UNITY. We cannot pretend unity or force it. It is a function of the LOVE OF GOD at work in each heart totally surrendered to HIM. So only when people are healed from deep wounds and rejection, anger, rebellion from all the hurts in the past, and have given up their RIGHTS, can they function more like a real body, with parts interacting in a healthy manner. Wholeness often takes time with humans with much heart damage.
God spoke through Jeremiah concerning the wickedness in Jerusalem, Jer 6:13-15 NKJV 13 "Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely. 14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace. 15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the Lord.
This sounds so much like our times it's not funny.
Around the world there has been a mixture in the church that has preventing some from the power of GOD moving among us. Pride, covetousness, selfishness [ various lusts ] which are the roots of jezebelic fleshly ways, have kept many from the fullness of God.
It is from this stand point that I want to encourage you that what God did in the Old Testament of sanctifying his Temple with His glory, He intends for us, His human temples in this hour as well. God is not slack concerning His promises. He wants the BEST for us, but He will not give us His best till our hearts are more in alignment with HIS. HE knows our frame, that we are but dust. He knows our true motivations and our dealings with others. He knows every root of unbelief in our hearts. He LOVES US SO MUCH that He will not allow us to be smitten dead by His glory without first giving a lot of time to repent…so far. He has been readying us for His glory that we would be able to receive the fullness of HIM.
He will break every chain and we WILL KNOW what it means to be seated in HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS. HE is coming to His church before revealing Himself at the end.
[ Years ago I had a dream of climbing a snowy, icey hill and I kept slipping but just as I made it to the top, I saw miles of snow covered fields, and a single tree on the horizon, and to the right of it a huge old white house like you would see in the Midwest, like I grew up in, and I saw JESUS about 30 ft tall, as tall as the house, sweep into it with a coat of many colors on.]
He wants nothing more than to bless us, but we must be willing to die to our wants, our desires, our will, and to cling to HIS will in our hearts, minds, and spirit. He once told me that we will find it impossible to fully obey if we still have demonic strongholds on our souls. This prevents us from full obedience. Thus He is forever pealing back layers of our heart, chambers if you will where doubt or unbelief exist that cause us to run from Him, and to be busy with doing, more than being with HIM.
I have found through all the abuse I went through as a child, that God didn’t heal me instantly. He has gently led me and guided me step by step, the way HE knew I could go through things best, without totally breaking down. So he is SO PATIENT with each of us, that we ought and need to be patient with one another, and never ASSUME anything about others. The devil loves nothing better than to divide us. Thus in this hour of the black arising we have a very divided church.
Now if the NEW WORLD ORDER can have the kind of unity it does to accomplish building it’s Tower of Babel, than should we not be greater than they since our GOD IS GREATER, at loving one another and accomplishing whatever HE wants ? It says in the Word:
Ps 110:3 Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness and in holy array out of the womb of the morning; to You [will spring forth] Your young men, who are as the dew. AMP
From Matthew Henry's Commentary :
“There are those that will not have him to reign over them, and thereby they join themselves to Satan, who will not have him to reign at all. 2. These enemies will be made his footstool; he will subdue them and triumph over them; he will do it easily, as easily as we put a footstool in its proper place, …he will subdue them in such a way as shall be most for his honour and their perpetual disgrace; he will tread down the wicked, Mal 4:3.
….All his enemies are now in a chain, but not yet made his footstool. This the apostle observes. Heb 2:8, We see not yet all things put under him. Christ himself must wait for the completing of his victories and triumphs. 5. He shall wait till it is done; and all their might and malice shall not give the least disturbance to his government. His sitting at God's right hand is a pledge to him of his setting his feet, at last, on the necks of all his enemies.”
“…That they should be a willing people, a people of willingness, alluding to servants that choose their service and are not coerced to it (they love their masters and would not go out free), to soldiers that are volunteers and not pressed men ("Here am I, send me"), to sacrifices that are free-will offerings and not offered of necessity; we present ourselves living sacrifices. Note, Christ's people are a willing people. The conversion of a soul consists in its being willing to be Christ's, coming under his yoke and into his interests, with an entire compliancy and satisfaction.”
Ps 110:4-7 The Lord has sworn and will not revoke or change it: You are a priest forever, after the manner and order of Melchizedek. [Heb 5:10; 7:11,15,21.] The Lord at Your right hand will shatter kings in the day of His indignation. 6 He will execute judgment [in overwhelming punishment] upon the nations; He will fill the valleys with the dead bodies, He will crush the [chief] heads over lands many and far extended. [Ezek 38:21,22; 39:11,12.] 7 He will drink of the brook by the way; therefore will He lift up His head [triumphantly].
I wondered at this: "he will drink of the brook by the way"
of the brook:
OT:5158 lj^n^ nachal (nakh'-al); or (feminine) nachlah (Ps 124:4) (nakh'-law); or nachalah (Ezek 47:19; 48:28) (nakh-al-aw'); from OT:5157 in its original sense; a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine): KJV - brook, flood, river, stream, valley.
OT:5157 lj^n* nachal (naw-khal'); a primitive root; to inherit (as a [figurative] mode of descent), or (generally) to occupy; causatively, to bequeath, or (generally) distribute, instate: KJV - divide, have ([inheritance]), take as a heritage, (cause to, give to, make to) inherit, (distribute for, divide [for, for an, by], give for, have, leave for, take [for]) inheritance, (have in, cause to, be made to) possess (-ion).
Thus it is HIS INHERITANCE TO BRING JUDGMENT ON THE WICKED ON THE DAY OF HIS POWER. Therefore He will lift His head up in TRIUMPH over His enemies. Praise the Lord ! It is also our privilege as sons of God.
He allows us to participate in it !! Your people will offer themselves WILLINGLY in that day. At this point I would say, ENTHUSIASTICALLY will they offer themselves when they see that He is going to trample down His enemies and fight along side them !
Jude 14-15 NKJV Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
Mal 3:17 - 4
17 And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. 18 Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him.
Malachi 4: 1 FOR BEHOLD, the day comes that shall burn like an oven, and all the proud and arrogant, yes, and all that do wickedly and are lawless, shall be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. [Isa 5:21-25; Matt 3:12.]
2 But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy.
You will go out FULL OF THE ANOINTING OIL FROM THE LORD !
3 And you shall tread down the lawless and wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of hosts.
4 [Earnestly] remember the law of Moses, My servant, the statutes and the ordinances which I commanded him on [Mount] Horeb [to give] to all Israel. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. [Matt 11:14; 17:10-13.]
6 And he shall turn and reconcile the hearts of the [estranged] fathers to the [ungodly] children, and the hearts of the [rebellious] children to [the piety of] their fathers [a reconciliation produced by repentance of the ungodly], lest I come and smite the land with a curse and a ban of utter destruction. [Luke 1:17.]
Let’s look at:
Isa 60:1-16 NKJV
0 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
5 Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
This HAS to be before the second coming because when he comes then, there is the WRATH of GOD which is not for us.
[ He is speaking of the SEA OF PEOPLES being turned to you and this is a promise for Israel including we who are grafted into Israel.]
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory. [ see Haggai ]
8 "Who are these who fly like a cloud, And like doves to their roosts? 9 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of the Lord your God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He has glorified you.
10 "The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you. 11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession. 12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined.
13 "The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious. 14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 "Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, So that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations. 16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, and milk the breast of kings; You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
Hag 2:6-9 NKJV "For thus says the Lord of hosts:'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts. 9 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts."
He also promised great revelation would unfold to us:
Dan 12:3-4 AMP And the teachers and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness (to uprightness and right standing with God) [shall give forth light] like the stars forever and ever. [Matt 13:43.] 4 But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end. [Then] many shall run to and fro and search anxiously [through the Book], and knowledge [of God's purposes as revealed by His prophets] shall be increased and become great. [Amos 8:12.]
God intends a great dethronement of the enemy on this earth. Satan may be the ruler on the earth at the moment, the Lord of the flies, the Prince of the power of the air presently. But GOD INTENDS HIS DETHRONEMENT AND TO USE US AS WELL IN THE DETHRONING OF HIS KINGDOM.
JESUS made the way for us to be filled with the same GLORY, think on it, the same GLORY with which HE created the heavens and the earth, that glory HE had at the beginning. HE gave it to us that we could build HIS KINGDOM, not our own. HE wants to be preeminent in the church that is called by HIS name.
The enemy works us over all our lives continually trying to put doubt in our minds, withholding what belongs to us, and trying to cause us to fear HIS dominion. BUT GOD in HIS magnificence, has a surprise party intended for His enemies. We can have confidence the days ahead will bring pain to see His judgment executed on those who disdain Him, yet JOY inexpressible and overflowing to those who worship HIM.
GOD does not take pleasure in the derision of His enemies. He isn’t up in heaven gloating at being able to wipe out mankind who hates Him. HE longs for the wicked to turn to Him, and He will yet have mercy on all who are willing to turn to Him, and with what He does next, there will be no excuse. Yet Revelation tells us that many will spit at Him, and revile Him, despite showing His superior power over the enemy, for many will have REPROBATE hearts.
2 Tim 3:8 AMP Now just as Jannes and Jambres were hostile to and resisted Moses, so these men also are hostile to and oppose the Truth. They have depraved and distorted minds, and are reprobate and counterfeit and to be rejected as far as the faith is concerned. [Ex 7:11.]
After the 4th bowl: Rev 16:9 NKJV And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
After the 5th bowl: Rev 16:10-11 NKJV Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
THE LAMB OVERCOMES THE ANTICHRIST AND HIS SYSTEM:
Rev 17:12-18 NKJV
12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. [ Beast is a system – NOW] 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
15 Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth."
The beast system will actually bring God's judgment on the "harlot church" - those who persecute the righteous, and have caused great martyrdom in the past. You know in England in the mid 1800's you could be set on fire for reciting the Lord's prayer to your child ?
So you can see that we cannot change the establishment of the beast system, but we are going to bring judgment down on it with God. Part of that will come through the blood of the martyrs. So it behooves us to be strong in the power of HIS MIGHT. To be filled with the fullness of HIM, because on our own we have no strength to overcome. Only through the blood of JESUS can we do anything.
Then the Lord led me to this verse in Ezekiel 23:
Ezek 23:8 NKJV She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt, for in her youth they had lain with her, pressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their immorality upon her.
So God is saying HE must allow this judgment that has been on Israel due to the mixture still in her. And that mixture is here in America and all over the World. God had intended for Israel to be a model of worship to Him, to influence the world to know HIM. But the ways of Egypt are everywhere now in the world. Witchcraft of every kind and Freemasonry is rampant everywhere, and it has as it’s roots the practices and worship of EGYPTIAN gods - Secrets taught to man by fallen angels. Then later in the chapter it talks of the influence of the Babylonians who were also idolators. Today Satanism is practiced as well as Freemasonry rituals in the old city of Jerusalem and throughout Israel, just as it is throughout the world.
God has a great restoration for ISRAEL & the CHURCH…
Zech 10:3-7 NKJV "My anger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the goatherds. For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah, [the worshippers] and will make them as His royal horse in the battle. 4 From him comes the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. 5 They shall be like mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame. [ those who trust in their own strength ]
6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; For I am the Lord their God, And I will hear them. 7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.
Zech 12:1-9 NKJV The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: 2 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. 4 In that day," says the Lord, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness;
Now we don’t ride horses into battle these days, so He is not speaking literally, HE is saying HE will cause confusion and madness to all who come up against Israel in this hour.
“…I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.' 6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place — Jerusalem.
He shall make the governors of Judah, the leaders of praise like a firepan in the woodpile – like that which sparks a fire, and like a torch in the sheaves they shall devour all the enemies of GOD.
Compare this to Malachi: Malachi 4: 1 FOR BEHOLD, the day comes that shall burn like an oven, and all the proud and arrogant, yes, and all that do wickedly and are lawless, shall be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. And in verse three, the mention of ASHES…
3 And you shall tread down the lawless and wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of hosts.
The Lord does not break His covenants. Back to Zechariah…
7 "The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Those living in tents are more vulnerable. God first saves those most vulnerable, as in the villages, [the lesser thought of ones.] And those strong, shall not be considered more important than the weak or more lowly in human estimation. In fact those feeble in this hour will be like David it says, and David Matthew Henry says…” In Christ the house of David shone more brightly than ever, and its countenance was as that of an angel; in him it became more blessed, and more a blessing, than ever it had been.”
There was strength and wealth in the house of David, but yet, God does not look upon us as man looks and He promises that those who are weak will be like DAVID who killed Goliath. And the Word says that those like David will be like the Angel of the Lord ! WOW…that is really amazing isn’t it ? Thus HE intends to glorify HIS BELOVEDS in this hour.
So do not let anyone tell you that GOD will NOT come and be a LIGHT to His people in this hour. He will TRANSFORM US as this passage says to be able to not only endure but to CONQUER our enemies.
